High tunnels, or unheated plastic greenhouses, are becoming increasingly popular among organic vegetable growers across the United States. However, the intensive production typical of these systems presents soil health challenges, including salinization due to high fertilizer or compost inputs coupled with lack of rainfall to leach salts. Legume cover crops may improve soil health in high tunnels by reducing the need for external inputs, while adding organic matter. We tested the soil health effects of a winter hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop used to replace fertilizer N in an organic tomato cropping system in high tunnels. Studies were replicated across three sites differing in climate and soil type (Kansas, Kentucky, and Minnesota) over three years. We measured vetch cover crop effects on a suite of soil health indicators, including potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), permanganate oxidizable carbon, and microbial biomass. Preliminary results suggest that vetch effects on PMN were highly variable. Soil mineral N, meanwhile, was often lower in the vetch treatment than in a fertilized control, both in spring and in fall. While further work on vetch effects on crop yields is needed, our results suggest that even legume cover crops such as vetch have the potential to reduce nitrate leaching.
Background: Health information systems in most countries are inadequate in providing the needed management support and the current health information systems are therefore widely seen as management obstacles rather than as tools,Objectives: the current study is an attempt to assess the behavioral and organizational determinants of health information system performance in Iraq.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewed a total of 189 respondents selected from six Iraqi governorates. The Organizational and Behavioral Assessment Tool was used to measure the behavioral and organizational determinants of health information system performance, it is one of the PRISM package tools that are used to assess the health informatio
... Show MoreThis study involved the evaluation of Alcoholic extract of Nerium Oleander L. plant that have a promising anticancer cell. This extract was compared to the well known anticancer drug Cis – Platinum by utilizing an in vivo system in female Albino mice. The first direction was cytogenetically using the mitotic Index of bone marrow cells as a parameter for the cytotoxic effect of this extract. The second direction was enzymatical using a widely distributed enzyme GOT in the different organs of mice: Liver , kidney , spleen and lung . Animals were treated with three doses of Cis-platin , 50 , 200 and 350 Mg/mouse for three days . The same doses were used for the other extract . This study showed that the extract have a promising anticance
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In this paper, a construction microwave induced plasma jet(MIPJ) system was used to produce a non-thermal plasma jet at atmospheric pressure, at standard frequency of 2.45 GHz and microwave power of 800 W. The working gas Argon (Ar) was supplied to flow through the torch with adjustable flow rate using flow meter regulator. The influence of the MIPJ parameters such as applied voltage and argon gas flow rate on macroscopic microwave plasma parameters were studied. The macroscopic parameters results show increasing of microwave plasma jet length with increasing of applied voltage, argon gas flow rate where the plasma jet length exceed 12 cm as maximum value. While the increasing of argon gas flow rate will cause increasing into the ar
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This research is focusing on finding more effective polymers that leads to enhance the rheological properties of Water Base Muds. The experiments are done for different types of mud for all substances which are Polyacrylamide, Xanthan gum, CMC (Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose). This study shows the effect of add polymer to red bentonite mud, effect of add polymer to Iraqi bentonite mud, the effect of add bentonite to polymer mud. The mud properties of Iraqi bentonite blank are enhanced after adding the polymers to the blank mix, CMC gives the highest value of plastic viscosity and Gel strength than others; X-anthan gives the highest value of yield point and gel strength than others. For the red bentonite mud, Polyacrylamide has the highes
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Abrus precatorius L. is an important medicinal plant belonging to family Fabaceae. The present study was conducted to perform pre-clinical safety evaluation and study the pharmacological effects of the ethanolic seeds extract of A. precatorius in management of pain, psychiatric and neurological conditions. Acute toxicity was performed to study the general behavioural pattern of mice after treatment with the test extract (single doses of 1000, 2000, 3000,4000,5000 mg/kg, body weight) and sub-acute toxicity studies were performed to study the toxic effects of the test extract (1000,2000,3000 mg/kg, per os for 14 days) on different haematological parameters, body and organ weight and histopathology of liver and kidney. The toxicological evalua
... Show MoreIntroduction: This study was performed to compare the effect of Fractional CO2 laser or Q switched Nd:YAG laser of surface treatment on the shear bond strength of zirconia-porcelain interface. Methods: Fractional CO2 laser at 30 W, 2 ms, time interval 1 ms, distance between spots 0.3 mm, and number of scans is (4) or Q switched Nd:YAG laser at 30 J/mm2 and 10 Hz were used to assess the shear bond strength of zirconia to porcelain. Pre-sintered zirconia specimens were divided into three groups (n = 10) according to the surface treatment technique used: (a) untreated (Control) group; (b) CO2 group; (c) Nd:YAG group. All samples were then sintered and veneered with porcelain according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Surface morph
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This work describes the weathering effects (UV-Irradiation, and Rain) on the thermal conductivity of PS, PMMA, PS/PMMA blend for packaging application. The samples were prepared by cast method at different ratios (10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 %wt). It was seen that the thermal conductivity of PMMA (0.145 W/m.K), and for PS(0.095 W/m.K), which increases by PS ratio increase up to 50% PS/PMMA blend then decreased that was attributed to increase in miscibility of the blend involved. By UV-weathering, it was seen that thermal conductivity for PMMA increased with UV-weathering up to (30hr) then decreased, that was attributed to rigidity and defect formation, respectively. For 30%PS/PMMA, there results showed unsystematic decrease in thermal conduct
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The toxicity effect of some heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium, Copper, and Zinc) on the growth of alga Scenedesmus dimorphus which belongs to the Division of Chlorophyta was studied and depended on the total cell number . The growth rate and doubling time were also calculated accordingly in present of absent of the the heavy metals . There were differences in toxic effects of the metals (p<0.05) . The growth was decreased gradually with alga when exposured to Lead at 15,20 and 25 mg/l in comparison with the control , mean while 30 mg/l caused an acute decrease in growth . Treating the alga with 0.05,0.1,0.5 mg/l concentration of Cadmium the number of cells decreased while at 1 mg/l the effect was more pronounced . As for Copper the conc
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Background: Analysis of human reports and comparison with results of experimental animals indicate that the effects of progesterone on human not analogous to experimental animals fetus, many studies showed that exposure to progesterone during developing of genital tract of human fetus was not teratogenic. Other studies which performed on laboratory animals found association between progesterone administration during gestation and genital malformation. Objectives: to explore the effect of progesterone in 10.2 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection in mice on testis development and anogenital distance. Materials and Methods: ten pregnant mice divided into five mouse control group that injected10. 2mg/kg sesame oil and treated group that injected pro
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